Major demographic shifts in the U.S. since 2001 have led to a
workforce that looks quite different today, according to a new report
from CareerBuilder. "The Changing Face of U.S. Jobs"
explores how an increasingly diverse population is affecting the
composition of nearly 800 occupations by gender, age and race/ethnicity.

In 2015, this is the changing face of U.S. jobs.

1. Women make up greater share of workforce. In
2014, 49 percent of jobs were held by women, compared to 48 percent in
2001. That amounts to 4.9 million more female workers since 2001
compared to just 2.2 million additional male workers.2. Men are performing a wider variety of work. Despite
gains in overall workforce participation by women, men are gaining a
share of employment in 72 percent of all occupations. Examples include
gains in female-majority occupations like pharmacists, credit analysts
and physical therapists.3. Occupational segregation contributes to pay gap. Jobs
with a high concentration of male workers pay significantly more per
hour, on average, than jobs with a high concentration of female workers:
$25.49 median hourly earnings for men vs. $20.85 median hourly earnings
for women.4. Women are losing share of employment in high-paying jobs. Since
2001, women lost ground in 48 out of the 50 highest paying jobs,
including surgeons, chief executives, lawyers and software developers.
They gained share among lawyers and political scientists. 5. Job losses have come primarily in male-majority jobs. Among
the occupations that lost 10,000 jobs or more since 2001, 76 percent
were male-majority occupations. As jobs went away in these fields, male
workers had to find work in a broader array of occupations. 6. Occupations with largest gains are mostly female-majority. Among
the occupations that gained 75,000 jobs or more, 69 percent were
female-majority. The largest gains in the workforce for women occurred
in a smaller number of sizable occupations.7. Women dominate college graduation numbers, but not in top-paying fields. While
5.6 million more women than men attained college degrees from
2004-2013, men continue to lead in programs that typically lead to
higher-paying jobs, such as computer science (83 percent of 2013 grads),
engineering (79 percent), law (54 percent) and postgraduate business
(54 percent).8. The most dramatic demographic shift in workforce composition is age. The
teenage workforce is 33 percent smaller than in 2001, while the age 55
and older workforce grew 40 percent. Jobs for young professionals (age
22-34) grew only 4 percent, while employment for workers age 35-54
shrunk by 1 percent.9. The aging workforceis felt in virtually all occupations. Moreover,
workers 55 and older make up 25 percent of the workforce in 210
occupations. There were only 86 such occupations in 2014. 10. The U.S. population is more racially and ethnically diverse now than at the turn of the century, and so is the workforce. Hispanic/Latino
and Asian workers make up a greater share of the workforce now than in
2001. Hispanics/Latinos held 13 percent of jobs in 2014, up from 11
percent in 2001, and Asians held 5 percent of jobs in 2014, up from 4
percent in 2001. White workers, meanwhile, lost share of total
employment, dropping from 71 percent in 2001 to 69 percent in 2014.
Black/African American workers held 12 percent of all jobs in 2014,
unchanged from 2001. 11. College graduates are significantly more diverse than in 2004. Non-white students made up 37 percent of all associate, bachelor's and post-grad completers in 2013, up from 30 percent in 2004.

As we look to spring and thoughts turn to spring cleaning, planting
flowers and mowing lawns, it's also a good time to re-evaluate your job
search plans. Has your approach been working well for you, or have you
met with little success?

If your job search strategy isn't panning out the way you planned, consider the following changes:

1. First thing to evaluate: does your target job exist?

Are you looking for a job that doesn't exist? It's possible your type of
position is no longer being filled as a full-time job, but will go to a
contractor. Some positions are being replaced with automated systems or
being sent overseas, and other jobs are going to contractors and
short-term workers instead of permanent employees. (Temp to perm has
become a reality for a lot of people.)

Even if you're doing everything "right," if you are looking for a job
that doesn't exist, you're likely going to continue to be very
frustrated. Your choice? Either a) hang a shingle (maybe a virtual shingle) and think about going into business for yourself as an independent contractor or b) read on!

2. Take some classes.

It's easy to retrain for job skills, as many community colleges and
other service organizations offer classes and certifications. You can
also turn to online classes, either for credit or for your own
edification. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which are offered by a
variety of educational institutions online, are increasingly available.
A study by Duke University and RTI International said 73 percent of employers would appreciate candidates who completed MOOCs.

3. Is it time to change career paths or directions altogether?

Research and identify growth fields and careers to learn if you may be a
good candidate for opportunities in the new industry. Make sure to
target your resume and other materials to your new goal employer. (This
is very important, as transitioning between fields is not an easy thing
to do, especially when there is a lot of competition for jobs.) Talk to
people about their work and prospects in their industries. Read articles
that feature future projections for industries and identify those that
interest you and where your skills are a good match. Be realistic about
your interests and opportunities, and you may find a new field is just
the ticket to a new job.

4. Make sure your job search materials help you stand out from the crowd.

If you have a tired and outdated resume, people will assume you are not suitable for their workplace. For example, nix the "objective"
and the language detailing what the company can do for you. Focus on
what you offer the organization and more employers will come calling.

5. Don't be too picky.

Do you have a certain vision of the type of job you're willing to do?
Maybe you don't even LIKE the work you did in the past, but you have
your mind set on doing it again. Have you been too particular about the
type of people or places where you want to work? (A 20-minute commute -
absolutely not! Work for him – are you kidding? When pigs fly!) I am not
suggesting you take just "any" job, but it may be a good time to take a
good, long, hard look at what you want and decide if you need to change
your goals.

Maybe a longer commute is worth it if you can land a job at X company or
in Y field or industry. Decide what parameters you can change and
refocus your search with new vigor. You never know how opening up a few
new windows may result in an open door.

Plus tips on how to answer them

When you go into an interview, you probably have answers ready for "tell
me about yourself" or "why do you want to work at this company?", but
do you have an answer for "what is your favorite Disney Princess?" What
about who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman? Or would
you know the answer to this puzzle: how many people flew out of Chicago
last year?

Glassdoor released their list of Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions for 2015
and some of those strange questions were actually asked by hiring
managers and interviewers at Stanford University, Coldstone Creamery,
Airbnb, and other desirable places to work.

So why are companies in almost every industry asking these strange
questions? They may seem random, but they have a definite purpose.

"The reasons why companies ask these challenging, weird, brainteaser
questions are simple," explains Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor Career Trends
Analyst. "To test a candidate's critical thinking skills, to see how
they problem solve on the spot, and as one extra way to help
differentiate one candidate from another candidate. If you have two
candidates that are virtually identical on paper, asking them really
tough questions can be one way to figure out who is a better critical
thinker."

Now we know why companies are asking these questions, but what is the
right way to answer them? Dobroski says that the worst way to answer is
to say "I don't know" or give a one-word response. OK, so maybe you have
an elaborate, analytical answer for why Batman would beat Spiderman in a
fight, but how are you supposed to know how many people flew out of
Chicago last year? Once again, don't say "I don't know" or throw out a
wild guess.

"Even if you don't know the exact answer, what you want to do is start
sounding out how you would come to the solution. Start saying how you
would tackle the challenge out loud, so they can see your thinking
skills," says Dobroski.

So in the case of the Chicago airport puzzle, ask the interviewer what
kind of resources you would have to figure out the answer. Verbalize out
loud how if the internet was an available resource, you would look up
how many planes fly out of Chicago O'Hare Airport a day, or whether the
airport had statistics available online, and what kind of statistics you
would be looking for.

Speaking of the internet, in this day and age, there's no excuse for not
doing your research on a potential employer. For many companies, a
simple search might reveal the type of questions you could be asked, or
what kind of setting the interview will be taking place.

So check out the list of Glassdoor's Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions,
as well as their Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions in Tech. If you
have a big job interview coming up, practice them out loud with your
friends and family. Even if your interviewers don't ask you for your
favorite 90s jam, you'll be warming up your brain and mind. And if they
do, you'll be ready.

DO get the most you can, and DON'T forget to do your research. Here's how.

You wrote a killer resume. The interview process went off without a
hitch. You can feel it: A job offer is coming your way. This is great
news, but before you start planning your new commute, there are some
final steps to getting the job that you're going to want to focus on—and
they all involve salary.

Negotiating your salary offer can be stressful, and you may be worried
about turning off the employer by an unknowingly unreasonable salary
requirement. Here's what you need to do—and don't need to—when
negotiating your salary.

DO research beforehandYou may have a number in your head that you'd like to make, but
basing your ideal paycheck on hard facts, such as industry standards,
company billings and the availability of quality candidates for that
role will get you further in negotiation talks. Cheryl E. Palmer,
certified career coach and owner of Call to Career,
says, "Employers generally have a range in mind for what they intend to
pay a new hire. Job seekers need to do their salary research […] so
that they go into the negotiation process knowing what the market will
bear."
Begin your research process by accessing resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook or CareerBuilder Salary Calculator.
You'll learn about salary trends, certifications that can get you
higher earning power and how competitive positions are in the current
market.

DON'T be the first to bring up salary talks "Whoever mentions salary first loses," Palmer says. "Generally
speaking, once one side—either the job seeker or the employer—mentions a
dollar figure, the other side is in a stronger position to negotiate.
So if the employer asks you what you are looking for, it's best to say,
'Could you tell me what the salary range is for this position?' If you
immediately volunteer a dollar amount, the salary discussion will be
based on that amount. The converse is also true. If the company
representative states a dollar amount first, the salary negotiation
process will start from there. Thus, it is your best interest to avoid
mentioning a dollar amount first if at all possible."
DO offer a salary range
If you're pressed for a salary requirement, you still have options for
negotiating your salary without losing the upper hand. "Don't lock
yourself in to a specific dollar amount," Palmer says. Instead, she
recommends giving a range that you're open to. "That still leaves you
room for negotiation. There is not a lot of wiggle room with a specific
dollar amount."DON'T accept the first offer
If you've managed to persuade the company to offer the first salary
figure, remember that it's just that: the first offer. "Usually the
first offer is not the company's best offer," Palmer says. "It is
generally expected that you will try to negotiate even though the
competition for jobs is stiff. You may not be able to negotiate the same
salary that you could before the economic downturn, but it is still
worth it to negotiate. You don't want to feel taken advantage of after
you start your new job."

DO make a strong case
Not all negotiation talks will go smoothly, but that's no reason to be
deterred from getting money that's on the table—in any form. "If you
are lowballed, negotiate based on how well your qualifications match the
requirements of the position," Palmer says. "An employer will not be
impressed if you try to negotiate based on what you made previously. The
current job market is filled with qualified candidates. However, you
are in a strong position to negotiate a higher salary if you are pretty
much a perfect match for the position. The best thing to do is to
reiterate what the position requires and restate the fact that you have
exactly what they are looking for. Then you can say, 'My salary research
shows that the going rate for someone with my qualifications and
experience is between $X and $Y.' This makes your request for a higher
salary objective instead of subjective."

DON'T forget to investigate other benefits or perks
If you're not able to get what you want from a monetary perspective,
you may still have a few tricks left up your sleeve for negotiating a
better employment package. Palmer says, "Health insurance and paid leave
are worth money too, and they shouldn't be taken lightly. These can be
negotiable. For example, if you already have health insurance through
your spouse, you could try to negotiate a higher salary level since the
employer will not be paying your premiums. You could also try to
negotiate more paid leave, especially if you plan to use that extra
vacation time to do consulting work to boost your income."
Though salary talks can be nerve-wracking, it's a crucial final step to
securing the job and ensuring that you're fairly compensated for your
work. And that's a final step you definitely want to take.

Top picks from the Young Entrepreneur Council

The hiring manager asks the applicant questions to figure out if they're the ideal candidate, while the interviewee asks the employer questions to figure out if they're the right fit.

But even when the hiring manager is the one in the hot seat, they're still evaluating you as a potential employee. So it's imperative that you ask good, smart questions - ones that will impress the interviewer.

Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local and author of "Likeable Social Media," recently asked a few of his friends at theYoung Entrepreneur Council(YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs, to share the one most impressive interview question applicants have asked (or that they wish applicants would ask).

He published their responses (as well as his own favorite question) in a recentLinkedIn post.

Here are our favorites:

1. What can I help to clarify that would make hiring me an easy decision?-Dan Pickett, cofounder of Launch Academy

2. How do you see this position evolving in the next three years?-Jared Brown, cofounder of Hubstaff

3. What's the most frustrating part of working here?-Avery Fisher, president of Remedify

4. Who's your ideal candidate and how can I make myself more like them?-Phil Laboon, president of Eyeflow Internet Marketing

5. How did you get your start?-Jayna Cooke, CEO of EVENTup

6. What keeps you up at night?-Kofi Kankam, CEO of Admit.me

7. What concerns/reservations do you have about me for this position?-John Berkowitz, cofounder and Chief Revenue Officer of Yodle

8. How will the work I'll be doing contribute to the organization's mission?-Dave Kerpen, founder and CEO of Likeable Local.